52862
submission
slimjim8094 writes:
James Kim, a technology editor for C|NET, has been found dead in the wilderness of Oregon. He had been missing for nearly two weeks. He is survived by his wife and two daughters (Penelope, 4, and Sabine, 7 months).
James Kim was a senior editor covering digital audio who also co-hosted a weekly video podcast for the Crave gadgets blog. He had been writing a book on Microsoft's Zune MP3 player. Formerly, he was an on-air personality on the now-defunct cable television network TechTV.
51064
submission
slimjim8094 writes:
Appearantly, Warner Music's CEO Edgar Bronfman's children have stolen music. The punishment? They got a talk about "not stealing". Now, when other people steal his copyright, shouldn't they just be allowed to listen to his lecture (instead of the big lawsuit and settlements)?
51054
submission
slimjim8094 writes:
There is a new Azureus client that is optimized for HD video, as described in this Wired article. Their idea is using the BitTorrent protocol to distribute movies. Appearantly, anyone with a 300K connection can enjoy this higher-quality video in realtime.
Unfortunately, the article is light on the details. While I am sure we all agree that higher-quality video is better, the resolution is not stated. It also mentions the possibility of DRM restrictions. But the concept seems sound.
47902
submission
slimjim8094 writes:
A mechanical device from 150BC was found in a shipwreck. Upon examination with X-Rays, the device appears to be a revolutionary computer used to calculate lunar cycles. This device "is technically more complex than any known for at least a millennium afterward." The creation of the device is attributed to the Greeks. FTA:
The hand-operated mechanism, presumably used in preparing calendars for planting and harvesting and fixing religious festivals, had at least 30, possibly 37, hand-cut bronze gear-wheels, the researchers said. A pin-and-slot device connecting two gear-wheels induced variations in the representation of lunar motions according to the Hipparchos model of the Moon's elliptical orbit around Earth.
22585
submission
slimjim8094 writes:
CBC news reports on a study done that shows that listening to higher volume levels for long periods of time will permanently damage hearing.
"If a person exceeds that on one particular day and happens not to use their headphones for the rest of the week, they're at no higher risk," Fligor told Reuters. "I'm talking about someone who's exceeding 80 per cent for 90 minutes day after day, month after month, for years."
How many have been sure of this for years?
22581
submission
slimjim8094 writes:
The Washington Post is reporting that the ozone hole over Antarctica is the largest ever recorded.
From the article:
"From Sept. 21 to 30, the average area of the ozone hole was the largest ever observed, at 10.6 million square miles," said Paul Newman, atmospheric scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. That's larger than the area of North America.
However, the good news is that the CFCs that created it should disappear by 2065.
12895
submission
slimjim8094 writes:
In a full-page ad in the Financial Times, McAfee warns users that Vista is insecure
McAfee's chairman George Samenuk says,
"With its upcoming Vista operating system, Microsoft is embracing the flawed logic that computers will be more secure if it stops co-operating with the independent security firms".
McAfee's argument is that, with Microsoft securing the kernel, they will not be able to secure the operating system. The EU is also watching for anti-competitive behavior. Do security companies need to have an open kernel to be able to write their programs?